Behind The Scenes: Amelia and Ben – Sculptor & Film Maker

Sculptor, Amelia, and her husband, Ben, a film maker at Toffee Hammer Productions, were in the studios recently working on a unique project. We wanted to find out the back story behind what they were up to and thought we better share it with you, too. Check out what went on when they came by.

Can you tell us a little bit about what you’ve worked on recently at the Copperdollar Studios?

We were commissioned to make a short video documenting the process of sculpting a portrait from life.

What inspired you to do this project?

Ben (my husband, a film maker) was asked to make a video explaining to pharmaceutical staff how to build up an understanding of each individual patient’s specific needs. We thought it would be an unusual but fitting metaphor….. and also fun to shoot!

How long do the sculptures normally take?

Sculpting a portrait can take anything from a day up to several weeks to sculpt, depending on the style and finish.

Have you ever had a person sitting for a sculpture do anything funny like fall asleep?

People often nod off while sitting for a portrait! It is actually surprisingly difficult to sit still for long periods. I always fall asleep at the hairdressers!

How did you hear about the studios?

We went to the Day of the Dead event that the Copperdollar Performance crew put on in Brighton a few years ago and loved it, so we looked the Copperdollar website and found the studios website, too. We thought the space looked like an amazing venue to film in, and have been waiting for a suitable project ever since.

What do you like most about the Copperdollar Studios and what would you say makes it different from other studios you’ve used?

It’s a visually wonderful space. There are so many interesting textures and different backgrounds on which to compose a shot. We got some lovely photos as well as filmed sequences. We would definitely recommend it to anyone wanting an slightly more unusual space to work in.

Copperdollar Studios is the perfect space for film and photography, check out our website to see our availability or get in touch to find out more. We’d love to meet you and show you around.

Our blog series, ‘Behind the Scenes’, showcases some of the amazing artists, performers, makers, photographers, videographers (you name it, the list goes on!) who have been in the Copperdollar Studios. We hope you enjoy the sneaky peaks. Feel free to leave us a comment and let us know what you think.